Driver Pleads Guilty, Sentenced in Idaho School Bus Crash

RICHFIELD, Idaho (AP) — A former Idaho school bus driver has pleaded guilty to inattentive driving after crashing a bus that rolled over and injured more than a dozen students in April. KBOI-TV reports that 67-year-old Richard Mecham was sentenced last week to a year of unsupervised probation and a $300 fine. His 90-day jail time was suspended. On April 18, junior high students from Carey School were on their way to a track meet in Gooding when their bus crashed about 125 miles (201 kilometers) southeast of Boise on U.S. Highway 26. Officials say Mecham drove off the right shoulder, overcorrected and rolled the bus. Twelve students were hospitalized. All were released the next day. According to Idaho State Police, Mecham was reportedly either drowsy or fatigued before the crash occurred.